Travis L. Dempsey is a lifelong New Mexico educator and school leader with a distinguished career spanning 26 years. He has served as Superintendent of Gadsden Independent School District and Cloudcroft Municipal Schools, Principal of Mountainair High School, and teacher at Mountainair Public Schools. Born and raised in New Mexico and a proud graduate of Mountainair High School, Travis has dedicated his career to improving opportunities and outcomes for students and families across the state.

Under his leadership, schools and districts achieved national and state recognition. Three schools earned National Blue Ribbon honors :Cloudcroft Middle School (2016), Desert View Elementary (2017), and Mesquite Elementary (2021) while Santa Teresa Middle School was named a National ESEA Distinguished School in 2018. Travis was recognized as New Mexico Superintendent of the Year in 2020. He also led the districtwide implementation of the Community Schools Framework in 2024 and celebrated Bilingual Multicultural Program Recognition Awards in 2025 for Loma Linda Elementary and Riverside Elementary.

After retiring from Gadsden ISD in January 2026, Travis transitioned from Public Education to becoming a partner in EDvice New Mexico, where he now partners in providing expertise in investigations, Title IX and Title IV compliance, board training, and policy development. He works with schools and organizations to strengthen governance, ensure compliance, and create safe, equitable environments for students and staff.
Travis and his wife, Lori Zamora-Dempsey, reside in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They are proud parents of two daughters and grandparents to three granddaughters, with whom they enjoy spending quality time.